EDMONTON - The rusting, burned-out husks of Russian tanks scattered throughout the bleak Afghan countryside stand as a stark reminder of just how inhospitable the battle-scarred country has been to the armoured giants in the past.
But operating amid the heat, dust and perils of Afghanistan has been a rebirth of sorts for Canada's tank squadrons.
Embattled Canadian soldiers erupted in cheers on Dec. 2, 2006, when the squadron of Canadian Leopard tanks emerged from the early-morning mist and rain to provide welcome support to war-weary ground troops as they battled Taliban insurgents in the restive Panjwaii district.
It was the first combat deployment of Canadian tanks since the Korean War, and the biggest display of firepower in Afghanistan since the days of the Soviet invasion in the 1980s.
They made their home at the forward operating base at Ma'sum Ghar, a basin-shaped outpost dubbed the "Catcher's Mitt" and a stone's throw from the landmark known as Three Tank Hill -- so named for the burned-out remains of the Soviet-era T-54 tanks that give it its unique profile.
But where the Russian tanks that litter the landscape offer ever-present reminders of the defeats suffered by the Soviet armoured divisions, their Canadian tanks have thrived -- a remarkable reversal of fortune for a branch of the Canadian Forces whose future had been very much in doubt.
As recently as 2003, military planners had been proceeding with a plan to sell, dismantle and mothball Canada's tank arsenal. The Liberal government approved a $3-billion plan to replace Canada's fleet of 66 Leopard 1 tanks with lighter, faster and more mobile armoured vehicles.
At that time, Rick Hillier, then a lieutenant-general and later Canada's chief of defence staff, described tanks as "useless for soldiers" and a "millstone that has hamstrung our thinking for years."
That millstone was reborn at the end of Operation Medusa, a particularly violent and drawn-out battle between coalition troops and the Taliban that sowed the soils of the Arghandab River valley with the blood of a great many Canadian soldiers, all in the shadow of the Catcher's Mitt.
"After confronting the enemy that we did during Operation Medusa, it became very clear that we needed tanks in operations," said Lt.-Col. Trevor Cadieu, commanding officer of the Edmonton-based armoured regiment, the Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians).
"So although tanks have traditionally not always been used in counter-insurgency operations, the particular threat that our soldiers were confronting communicated that we needed that tool in that environment."
Cadieu was a major in 2006 and the commander of the tank squadron that rumbled into Ma'sum Ghar to buttress the ranks of 1 Royal Canadian Regiment, who were sustaining heavy losses in their battles with insurgents.
"The soldiers of the 1 RCR battle group was a team that had seen continuous and sustained combat for three months before we arrived at the theatre. It resonated with me when the tanks showed up and they were cheering as we rolled into Ma'sum Ghar."
The area's terrain -- which includes both mountains and deep, washed-out creek beds -- wasn't ideal, but the armour made an immediate difference in the battle. The enemy was genuinely awed by the military might on display, describing Canada's tanks as the "superbeasts."
That didn't stop them from putting up a fight, at least initially.
"There are Taliban that decided to stand up and fight against tanks -- as you will appreciate, with the main gun on the tank and the coaxial machine guns, there was quite an overmatch there," Cadieu said. Soon, the mere presence of the tanks changed the complexion of the fight.
"There is that close combat that has certainly happened, but we've also seen the psychological impact of tanks showing up and the situation de-escalating as well."
Maj. Rob McKenzie took over as commander of the Afghan squadron last year.
"The amount of deliberate operations where we went in with tanks leading -- certainly the resistance we encountered was minimal," McKenzie said.
"I mean, we had the odd individual who decided to take a shot at us but for all the times we showed up and the enemy chose not to fight, we accomplished the aim without firing a shot."
With Canada's combat operations poised to end next month, the first echelon of battle tanks in theatre returned Thursday to Kandahar Airfield to undergo preparations for their journey home. The lead vehicle, belonging to the Quebec-based 12e Regiment blinde du Canada, sported a small Canadian flag from one of the antennas.
"It's a tremendous accomplishment for the tank squadron," said Maj. Eric Landry, the commander of C Squadron, who noted the seven-month tour marked the regiment's first tank deployment since the Second World War.
The first wave of Canadian tanks that arrived in Kandahar in the fall of 2006 were part of the army's 30-year-old arsenal of vehicles. It quickly became apparent that they weren't suitable for the rigours of an Afghan summer where the temperature hovers around 50 C.
The Conservative government borrowed 20 Leopard 2A6Ms from the German army and purchased an additional 100 surplus tanks from the Dutch. Those that were on loan have mostly been returned to Europe.
Once all the hulking iron juggernauts are home, Canada will have 82 tanks remaining in its fleet, half of them based in Edmonton. The rest will be based elsewhere, including New Brunswick, and used for military training.
Their latest mission has reinforced to the Canadian army that it needs all "battlefield enablers," including infantry, artillery, tanks and combat engineers, even if there isn't another war zone in their immediate future.
"The Canadian Army is not a one-trick pony," Cadieu said.
"Although you might not need each of those capabilities in every environment, when you do need them, you better hope that you have them at your disposal so you can bring them into operations quickly and decisively as well."
The tanks also played an important symbolic role for the Canadian military's reputation at home and around the world, helping to dispel the notion that they're little more than a peacekeeping force, said Chief Warrant Officer Bill Crabb.
"I think Canadians are starting to see us not just as peacekeepers anymore, but as capable fighters," Crabb said. "I don't think Canadians saw us that way until this conflict because we didn't really have to fight in the past."
For Warrant Officer Cordell Boland, who returned from Afghanistan last year, the tanks have proven themselves an indispensable piece of kit for the Canadian military.
"When your ship is sinking, it is too late to go out and buy a lifeboat," Boland said. "That's what the tank is for the Canadian forces -- it's a lifeboat."
